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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I was standing next to Gray when this occurred.
What I observed didn't look like a battery failure because the plane began
violently oscillating in what appeared to me to be in pitch. This oscillation
was so severe that I thought the plane was experiencing flutter. I told Gray to
cut the throttle, at which point he said he already had. I looked at his
transmitter and the throttle stick was indeed all the way down, however, the
engine continued oscillating from high to low. I also looked at his battery
meter on his TX and it was well into the black. A couple of times I thought the
plane was going to fly off into the distance in this out of control manner but
thankfully Gray was able to keep it close to the field.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What's puzzling are the following:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>1. If it were interference the PCM would have gone
into lockout.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>2. A combination of in and out of lockout
fluctuations would not cause the throttle to go up and down since the throttle
stick was down and the lockout was set to idle.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>3. If it were RX battery related I would not expect
it to oscillate the control surfaces and the throttle, unless the RX freaks out
at low voltage.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Therefore, I believe this was some type of radio
related failure either on the TX or RX side, most likely the RX. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>One last thought, I have heard people report a bad
servos in the system making all the other servos behave badly. Maybe someone has
some feedback on this.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Keith Black</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
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<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=gfowler@raytheon.com href="mailto:gfowler@raytheon.com">Gray E
Fowler</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org
href="mailto:nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org">General pattern discussion</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, September 02, 2008 9:24
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Ideas on
radio beserkness-cause of crash??</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>Hey Anthony</FONT>
<BR><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>Never set up that warning function.
Several people have indicated a low battery. Lance thinks fractured
crystal...10 years old, stored in my garage at 105F to 25F or so. Every
battery failure I have seen (none were mine) the radio flat out quit. Lance
and I are going back out today, better equipped (long pants-machetes!!!) If I
find it I can re-test the battery..It tested about 150 MAH of its rated
capacity, but I do not have the tester drain the crap out of the
volatge.</FONT> <BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>Man that plane flew good....9
lbs 15 oz...My skills are so deteriorated.</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT
face=sans-serif size=2><BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=sans-serif
size=2><BR><BR><BR>Gray Fowler<BR>Senior Principal Chemical
Engineer<BR>Radomes and Specialty Apertures<BR>Technical Staff Composites
Engineering<BR>Raytheon</FONT> <BR><BR><BR>
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<TD width="40%"><FONT face=sans-serif size=1><B>Anthony Romano
<anthonyr105@hotmail.com></B> </FONT><BR><FONT face=sans-serif
size=1>Sent by: nsrca-discussion-bounces@lists.nsrca.org</FONT>
<P><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>09/02/2008 09:18 AM</FONT>
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<DIV align=center><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>Please respond
to<BR>General pattern discussion
<nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org></FONT></DIV></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR></P>
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<DIV align=right><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>To</FONT></DIV>
<TD><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>General pattern discussion
<nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org></FONT>
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<TD>
<DIV align=right><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>cc</FONT></DIV>
<TD>
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<TD>
<DIV align=right><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>Subject</FONT></DIV>
<TD><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Ideas on
radio beserkness-cause of crash??</FONT></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR>
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<TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR><BR><BR><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2>Hi Gray,<BR>What a huge bummer. Did you have the low rx
alarm function turned on? On the Stylus that is a switchable function that
will drop the throttle to alert you to a low rx voltage. Now I am paranoid and
have to go check mine.<BR>Have heard of similiar "brown out" type of behavior
with a Nimh rx battery failure. Hope you can recover the aircraft. This time
of year the growth in most places can swallow anything.<BR>Many solid flights
for almost ten years on my Stylus but it is serviced every
winter.<BR><BR>Anthony<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR></FONT>
<HR>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><BR>To: NSRCA-discussion@lists.nsrca.org<BR>From:
gfowler@raytheon.com<BR>Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2008 08:30:17 -0500<BR>Subject:
[NSRCA-discussion] Ideas on radio beserkness-cause of
crash??<BR><BR></FONT><FONT face=sans-serif size=2><BR>Guys</FONT><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2> <BR></FONT><FONT face=sans-serif size=2><BR>Yesterday on
my 4th flight of the day my PCM Stylus went nuts. PCM program was set for idle
throttle and about 5-6 clicks(trim wise) of up elevator-all other surfaces
neutral, and this was tested as such by turning off the transmitter. As
I passed by center I noticed that I could not gain altitude and the the
throttle started going from idle to high...then ailerons started oscillating
small left-right deflections. I cut the throttle to the kill position but the
engine persisted up-down bursts. I was able to do a 180 degree turn with
aileron coming back to center...never losing altitude, but unable to change
the altitude,elevator seemed unresponsive. As I passed by center again I was
losing more and more control. The plane flew over the wooded area south of the
field at about 200 feet high, I could not turn and the ailerons rolled the
plane upside down and it went straight down into the trees. This whole episode
last about 45 seconds. Cannot find the plane, and remnants of Gustav are
headed my way.</FONT><FONT face=Tahoma size=2> <BR><BR></FONT><FONT
face=sans-serif size=2><BR>Plane was new had about 10 flights on
it.</FONT><FONT face=Tahoma size=2> <BR></FONT><FONT face=sans-serif
size=2><BR>New battery..NiMH 5 cell pack -no regulator (ran 5 cell packs for
years, no regulator) <BR>Reciever-1999 Stylus PCM-never crashed, wrapped in
foam</FONT><FONT face=Tahoma size=2> </FONT><FONT face=sans-serif
size=2><BR>New switch</FONT><FONT face=Tahoma size=2> </FONT><FONT
face=sans-serif size=2><BR>Transmitter-1999 Stylus, never been serviced, never
had problems</FONT><FONT face=Tahoma size=2> <BR></FONT><FONT face=sans-serif
size=2><B><BR>What would cause a PCM receiver to do such a thing?</B> If I had
and intermittent signal, once the receiver did get a signal the only two
throttle signals should have been idle (PCM hold) and off (transmitter).
I am going to send the transmitter in just to get checked.</FONT><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2> <BR></FONT><FONT face=sans-serif size=2><BR>Thanks
guys....<BR><BR><BR>Gray Fowler<BR>Senior Principal Chemical
Engineer<BR>Radomes and Specialty Apertures<BR>Technical Staff Composites
Engineering<BR>Raytheon</FONT><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><BR><BR></FONT>
<HR>
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